Meat mold

ABSTRACT

A multiple cavity meat mold, wherein each cavity is open at both ends, has a closure-forming pressure plate for one end of each cavity, each plate being independently biased by a coil spring and provided with a guide pin, coaxial with the coil spring, that fits into a guide sleeve on the spring backing. The plates maintain the ends of the meat in the mold cavities perpendicular to the axis of the associated cavity during the cooking and chilling. The plates are held onto the mold body by a ratchet arrangement. At the bottom of each mold cavity is a removable closure end plate.

United States Patent Ralph M. Foldenauer Chicago, 11!.

June 6, 1969 May 25, 1971 Bloomer-Fiske, Inc.

[72] Inventor [2l App]. No. [22] Filed [45] Patented [73] Assignee [54]MEAT MOLD 2,726,024 12/1955 Hawley (99/351)UX 2,729,947 l/l956 Cheney..(.100[Meat Digest)UX FOREIGN PATENTS 416,188 9/1934 GreatBritain99/351 Primary Examiner-Walter A. Scheel Assistant Examiner-Arthur 0.Henderson Att0meySpector and Alster ABSTRACT: A multiple cavity meatmold, wherein each cavity is open at both ends, has a closure-formingpressure plate for one end of each cavity, each.plate beingindependently biased by a coil spring and provided with a guide pin,coaxial with the coil spring, that fits into a guide sleeve on thespring backing. The plates maintain the ends of the meat in the moldcavities perpendicular to the axis of the associated cavity during thecooking and chilling. The plates are held onto the mold body by aratchet arrangement. At the bottom of each mold cavity is a removableclosure end plate.

, PATENTED HAY25 Ian ll'llll-Il l ll RALPH M. Fowemuzn This inventionrelates to improvements in molds and mold covers that maintain loaves ofmeat compressed'in the molds during cooking and chilling of the loavesof meat.

It is an object of this invention to provide a multiple cavity meat moldin which a cover for the mold has a closure-forming pressure platemovably disposed in the .open end of each mold cavity for engagementwith the adjacent end of a meat loaf therein, and wherein a spring andguide pin arrangement imposes axial pressure on each plate independentlyofthe pressure imposed'on the other plates to maintain independentlyeach plate at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the associatedmold cavity and in pressure engagement with the loaf therein as the loafchanges longitudinal dimensions during cooking and chilling. Thisinsures that-when the product is withdrawn from the mold, the endadjacent to the cover is at right angles to the' longitudinal axis ofthe loaf so that the end slice of the loaf is substantially uniform withrespect to the other slices and thus does not become a waste product.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a: mold cover of thetype stated in which each of the pressure'plates thereof isindependently biased into pressure engagement with the meat loaf by acoil spring which is centered on the longitudinal axis of the associatedguide pin and mold cavity when the cover and mold are assembled.

of the ratchet armsf28, 29 are inwardly turned and shaped to provideuniform ratchet teeth 30 which are adapted to engage the flange 19 tohold the cover 20 removably in place-onto the top connector 15.'

Welded or otherwise rigidly secured ea'chto one end ofthe backing 21 arecoil compressionsprings 32, 33, the longitudinal axes of which coincidewith the axes 5a, 6a when the cover is mounted onto the top connector15. The other ends of the springs 32, 33 are welded to pressure platesor covers 34, 35 which are slidably disposed in the open ends of themold cavities 5, 6 and have a generally square shape that issubstantially the same as that of the cross section of the cavities 5,6. Also welded centrally-of the plates 34, 35 and perpendicular theretoare guide pins 31, 31 that are'coaxial with the associated springs 32,33 and are axially slidably mounted in guide sleeves 36, 36, the latterbeing welded to the backing 21. The sleeves 36, 36 project beyond bothsides of the backing 21. When the springs 32, 33 are uncompressed, aswhen the cover is off of the mold, the pins 31 31 extend above 7 thesleeves 36, 36' so that at alltimes the pins 31, 31 occupy It is anadditional object of this invention to provide a mold of the type statedthat permits easy removal of the cover from the mold and yetreduces thepossibility of damage to the cover that may be caused by jamming of thecover plates'in the mold cavities so as to prevent misalignment of thecover plate as the cover is withdrawn from the mold.-

The attainment of the above and further objects of this in:

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along'line 2-2 of F 16. 1;and

FIG. 3 is a top plan view on a reduced'scale of FIG. 1. Referring inmore detail to the drawing, 1 designates a mold comprising two identicalhollow cylinders 3, 4 forming the wall of cavities 5, 6. The cylinders3, 4 herein shown are shaped such that the mold cavities aresubstantially square in transverse cross section, although they may, ifdesired, have other cross sections, for instance rectangular orcircular.

Welded to the lower ends of the cylinders'3, 4- is a bottom connector 8having a marginal flange 9 that is outwardly of and extends around thecylinders 3, 4 and constitutes a footing for the mold 1. The bottomconnector 8' has openings 10, 11

which, during the product molding, are closed off by removable endplates 13, 14 which in plan view are of a size and shape approximatelythat of the cross section of the moldcavities 5, 6 and are at rightangles to the longitudinal axes 5a, 6a of the mold cavities 5, 6. Theplates 13, 14 rest on stops 12, 12 which are portions of the bottomconnector 8 extending radially. inwardly from the walls of the moldcavities. 5, 6 and which define the openings 10, 11.

The cylinders 3, 4 are also secured at their upper ends by a topconnector 15 that is a platehaving two holes 16, 17' sized for receivingthe upper ends of the cylinders 3, 4 and at which the cylinders arewelded. Thus, the top and bottom connectors 8, 15 rigidly secure thecylinders 3, 4 spaced apart to facilitate heating and chilling of thecylinders 3, 4 and with their longitudinal axes 5a, 60 parallel. The topconnector 15 also has an outwardly and downwardly inclined 'flange 19that surrounds both cylinders 3, 4, for purposes presently more fullyappearing.

The mold assembly also comprises a cover 20 having a channel-shapedmember that includes rectangular web or spring backing 21 and downwardlyturned reinforcing flanges 22, 23. Secured to the opposite ends of theflanges 22,.23 by hinge pins 25, 26 are ratchet arms 28, 29. The lateralmargins the full length of their respective sleeves 36, 36.

The pressure plates 34, 35 are maintained in pressure en'- 1 guide pins31, 31 and sleeves 36, 36, the plates 34, 35 are at all,

times kept perpendicular to the longitudinal axes 5a, 6a. The springs32, 33 also maintain the flange 19 in engagement with the ratchet teeth30. When the cover 20 is assembled with the cylinders after the producthas been stuffed into'tlie mold cavities 5, 6, it. is desirable that thesprings 32, 33 by-substantially deflected so thatthe pressure plates 34,35 are in firm engagement with the ends of the meat prior to placing themold in the cooking chamber. The corresponding ratchet teeth-30 (i.e.first from the top, second from theitop, etc.)'on the arms 28, 29 willbe in engagement with the flange l9'with the result that the backing 21will be parallel to thepres'sureplates 34, 35. Moreover, the arms 28, 29will be parallel-to the axes 5a, 6a, irrespective of' which of thecorresponding teeth 30on each arm 28, 29 are in engagement with theflange 19.

As a result of the expansion and contraction of each meat loaf in itsmold during cooking and subsequent chilling, the loaf is always pressedby the associated'pressure plate 34 or 35. Furthermore, each plate 34,35 will always be maintained at right angles-to the" longitudinalaxis-of the associatedloaf, regardless of the amounts of expansion andcontraction of the other loaf. Consequently, when'the loaves 37, 38 areremoved from the mold, both of their opposite ends will be perpendicularto the longitudinal axis of the loaf to facilitate slicing of the loafinto uniform pieces after the loaf has passed through the slicingmachine.

The plates 34, 35 are prevented by the guide pins 31' and sleeves 36from twisting relative to the springs 32, 33 should 1. A mold havingelongated side by side =parallel-cavities'for receiving a food productto be molded into loaves and wherein the loaves are subject to changesin length during the molding operation, the mold cavities being open atone end of 'the mold, pressure'plate covers for the respective opencavities, each cover being disposed in its mold'cavity for engagementwith the adjacent end of the loaf being molded therein, and

the respective plates being movable in their respective mold cavitiesindependently of one another, a backing member for all of the covers,means securing one end of the backing member to the mold adjacent to oneof the cavities, means securing 'an opposite end of the backing memberto the-mold adjacent to another cavity, separate spring means betweenthe 2. A mold according to claim 1, wherein each guiding means comprisesa'piri oneend of which is rigidly secured to its 'pressureplate and theother end of which is guided in by the backing plate. I i

3. A mold according to claim Zwherein each mold cavity .is

open at its end remote from the pressure plate cover and is providedwith a removable plate closing said remote end and removable from themold cavity by sliding it therethrough.

1. A mold having elongated side by side parallel cavities for receivinga food product to be molded into loaves and wherein the loaves aresubject to changes in length during the molding operation, the moldcavities being open at one end of the mold, pressure plate covers forthe respective open cavities, each cover being disposed in its moldcavity for engagement with the adjacent end of the loaf being moldedtherein, and the respective plates being movable in their respectivemold cavities independently of one another, a backing member for all ofthe covers, means securing one end of the backing member to the moldadjacent to one of the cavities, means securing an opposite end of thebacking member to the mold adjacent to another cavity, separate springmeans between the respective pressure plate covers and the backingmember for maintaining each cover in pressure engagement with the loafbeing molded in its cavity, separate guiding means between therespective pressure plates and the backing member each for preventingtilting of its pressure plate as its pressure plate moves in its moldcavity to maintain its loaf under pressure, said spring means and saidguiding means being between the two securing means.
 2. A mold accordingto claim 1, wherein each guiding means comprises a pin one end of whichis rigidly secured to its pressure plate and the other end of which isguided in by the backing plate.
 3. A mold according to claim 2 whereineach mold cavity is open at its end remote from the pressure plate coverand is provided with a removable plate closing said remote end andremovable from the mold cavity by sliding it therethrough.